Chogakure
Chogakure (苧隠れの里, Chugakure no Sato, lit. "Village Hidden in the Ramie") is the village that Chūgo Omu originated from. It lies in the . Overview As the town is no longer a hidden village, it is led by a council of twelve of the village's most respected residents. During a state of total war or other crisis situation, the council will delegate an acting town leader (里長, sato-osa) from its reserve shinobi forces. Although there is a small garrison stationed at the entrance to the town, almost all military action is undertaken by a militia formed of civilians who have been trained in basic combat maneuvers. While there is a small mine located to the west of the village, Chogakure's chief source of income is the manufacturing of textiles. Despite having only one factory, the village is known for its extremely durable woven fabric made of high quality, tensile fiber, which is one of the materials used in the production of shinobi . Due to the distance from , Chogakure has its own for children up to the age of twelve. After this point, they are expected to either leave and travel to Tanigakure to continue their training as shinobi or seek apprenticeship under a civilian occupation in town. Chūgo Omu was an exception to this, as after his graduation he continued to train under one of the village’s few jōnin shinobi, refusing to move to Tanigakure. History As a village, Chogakure was established many decades before the . During this time a powerful group of shinobi emerged from the area who specialized in the . Eventually, after the established , these shinobi decided to found a hidden village of their own. However, Chogakure was soon eclipsed by Tanigakure, which replaced it as the main hidden village located within the Land of Rivers. Several years later it was officially decided that the town would no longer be a hidden village, as its denizens wished to focus on industry and production instead of martial affairs in order to transition into a peaceful, prosperous village. It was renamed Osato (苧里, lit. "ramie village"), although the inhabitants and surrounding towns still refer to it as Chogakure, and so far the official name has not been adopted in common speech. Geography As is seemingly typical for the Land of Rivers, Chogakure possesses a rolling, forested topography that is defined by deep, rippling valleys. Possibly due to its close proximity to , the surrounding ridges are high in iron ore, although its one serviceable vein has been largely been depleted over the years as a result of extensive mining operations. This has resulted in the erosion of an entire mountain slope to the south-west of town, but fortunately this is the only major industrial destruction of the surrounding environment, and much of the land outside the boundaries of the village remains in an undisturbed state. Chogakure lies in a circular widening at the head of a deep, narrow valley. The Zensei River runs through the center of the basin, progressing from north to south. Curiously, the main road leading to the village does not follow the path of the river, instead cutting horizontally across the south part of the town. To the north, the village is bordered by a high, zig-zagging wall, beyond which lies an explansive plain where flax and other fibrous plants were historically grown. While agriculture is still maintained there, it is far less extensive than it was in the past. On the east side of town, an impressive, sheer cliff wall looms from the base of the valley. There is a sudden narrowing of the valley on the southern edge of town, caused by a drastic point that extends from the cliff wall to meet the opposite ridge, pinching the valley into a thin strip. A large, beautifully constructed bridge spans the extent of this gap, and both the shinobi garrison and the entrance to Chogakure reside at its base on the west end. Past the bridge is a verdant, thick forest, which sprawls until the river ends suddenly at a large waterfall. Nearly all of the buildings in the town are constructed in a similar manner: a square design, eaves that slant upwards at the corners, and a small cupola in the center of the roof. Most of the structures consist of either one or two stories. The largest buildings in the village are the textile factory, the academy, an arena, and the village council headquarters. It is rumored that there are hidden caves in the cliff wall outside of town, although if they exist their purpose is unknown. Locations *'Jinsei Endo's Residence:' the house where Chūgo Omu was raised. Trivia *'Cho' (苧, ) can be translated to mean several things, but the most common interpretation is "nettles" or "flax." *The kanji for Zensei (全盛, the river that runs through the center of Chogakure), roughly translates to "the height of prosperity." See Also *